Chapter 23

                                    

                                          
When Jormungandr walks out of the confessional, he steps towards the cross and kneels in front of it on a bench. 
                          
After he prays, he stands and turns to us "Ready to go?" with a short nod, we walk out of the church and around Williamsburg. 
                          
When we stop in front of a music shop, Jormungandr frowns "What's this?" 
                          
"Music." I state, before smirking "Come along. Meet Midgard's artistry." And with that, we pool into the shop. 
                          
Not two minutes after Jormungandr starts weaving through the decks, does the door open. In walks a little girl, with dark brown hair and large lips. Behind the girl, is Darcy and Jane. 
                          
I try to hide myself, until Jormungandr calls over his shoulder "Father, do you know what kind of music this is?" 
                          
When I walk over to him, I find he listens to a soft song "I have no idea. Alternative, maybe? Rock?" 
                          
Darcy's daughter walks up and explains "It's alternative. Personally, I enjoy this one." she holds up a CD with a smile "You're very tall. How old are you?" 
                          
"Ten." Jormungandr smiles down at her, before looking back at Darcy and Jane "Are those your parents?" 
                          
The girl calls out for her mom while I turn my back and look through a few records in hopes Jane won't see me. 
                          
"Max, baby, what's up?" Darcy asks from behind me. 
                          
"This is my mom and her best friend." Max tells Jormungandr, before telling her mom "He asked if you two were my parents." 
                          
"My apologize." Jormungandr says, before clarifying "Both of my parents are men." I start to try to escape. 
                          
"Oh, are your parents here?" Max asks. 
                          
"Thor?" Jane asks and I turn around, innocently, causing her to gasp "What happened to your eye?" 
                          
"Odin went to trial, was sentenced to dead, and stabbed me." I state and she gives a bewildered look "He killed a child." 
                          
"Why would he kill a child?" Darcy asks. 
                          
"It was my brother." Jormungandr states and Jane and Darcy look to him "Mum ended up killing him." 
                          
"Wait." Darcy points to Jormungandr "Are you Loki's son?" Jormungandr nods, before she frowns "Who's your mom?" 
                          
"His mother is Loki." I state and they give an astonished look "Yes, he was pregnant on our last trip here." 
                          
"Is-is he still pregnant?" Darcy asks and I shake my head, before something clicks in her head "How's your baby girl?" 
                          
"Well, she's four pounds of fight." I nod, before explaining "She only had four months in the womb, when it should have been twelve. She's a little siren, isn't she Rominoff?" 
                          
Rominoff smiles weakly "Stole my heart in two seconds flat. Good luck keeping the boys at bay." 
                          
"So, Loki is your queen?" Jane asks and I give a short nod "Great, what every girl wants to hear. My ex is now sleeping with a man." She gives a fed up look, before Darcy elbows her. 
                          
"I'm not gay, if that's what you think." I smirk, before shrugging "You couldn't effect who I lay with." 
                          
She gives an apologetic look and I look to Max "You look exactly like your mum, do you know that?" 
                          
"Yeah, the old hag is quite pretty." she jokes, before shaking her head "Just kidding, but I'll trade her to you for a pack of smokes." Darcy and Max laugh together and I give a confused look to Jane. 
                          
"They have the same humor." She declares and I give a short nod "For a nine year old, Max is very street smart." After a moment, Jane asks "Why was she born early?" 
                          
"Battle-born c-section." I state, before explaining "Loki had business on Jotunheim, while I was in Asgard. Jotunheim was taken over by a group of very bad people. The people Loki was forced to serve by laying waste to Midgard. They cut him open to retrieve Hel, but Loki killed them before Hel was seriously injured." 
                          
Jane gives an astonished look, before Darcy asks "Is Loki okay?" I give a knowing look, before giving a short nod. 
                          
"Jormungandr, why don't you go look at the portable devices." Jormungandr and Max run off and I look to them "Loki's in, what do Midgardians call it?" I think for a second, before remembering "Surgery. After an injury like that, there has to be some kind of infection or damage." 
                          
"What, exactly, do they do for that?" Jane asks, as politely as you could. 
                          
"Open the wound, fill it with herb. Reset the muscles, and stitch him up." I sigh and they give a horrified look "I've seen it once. I wished to never have it happen to whom ever I wedded." 
                          
"Is Asgard the same as it used to be?" Jane asks as Max walks back over to her. 
                          
"We rebuilt, but it's not the same." I explain, before sighing "For once in our history, there is peace between the nine realms, but the fear of invasion is still in Asgardian minds." 
                          
"I wanna see it, one day." Max frowns and her mother gives her a look "I'm just saying!" 
                          
I smile down at her "You three are welcome, anytime." I look to Jormungandr "Actually, it's getting quite late, isn't it?" 
                          
"We should be heading back to mum." Jormungandr states, before giving me a pleading look. 
                          
With a sigh, I look to Jane and Darcy and ask "If you don't have anything for tonight, we'd love to have you over in Asgard." 
                          
They share a look, before I motion towards the kids and Jane sighs "We'd love to." Max smiles up at Jormungandr. 
                          
"Okay, well..." I look to my friends and ask "Are you coming back to Asgard, or not?" 
                          
"We have yet to go on that pub crawl, and I want some chocolate fruit from Jotunheim." Stark remarks, before declaring "We're going back." 
                          
"Owww, do I get one of those fancy dresses that Jane got?" Darcy asks and I give a chuckle, before nodding. 
                          
"Are you ready to go?" I ask and everyone nods. By the time we get back to the scorched earth, Jormungandr holds a box of pizza. 
                          
On Asgard, Heimdall pulls his sword out as he holds Hel in his arm "My king, I believe she possesses my ability, as she woke only moments ago!" 
                          
As I take Hel in my arms, she screeches and I smile "Good evening, darling. How are you?" She screeches again and grabs my beard. 
                          
"Pass her over." Jormungandr demands and I hand her over. As soon as she sees him, her hair and eyes go green "She's using her powers." 
                          
"Use yours. See what she does." He does and Hel screeches the happiest screech I've heard, causing Jormungandr to smile down at her. 
                          
When I turn to Heimdall, he bows his head to me "Where is my queen?" 
                          
"I believe he is in the library hall." Heimdall smiles, before continuing "He sits under the tree of life." 
                          
"Thank you, my dearest friend! I expect you at supper, if you be so kind." I smile and he gives a short nod. 
                          
"If I not be there, I shall be there soully!" he calls as I start down the bifrost, the rest of my friends on my heels.